1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to machines for forming round bales of windrowed material, and more specifically to such machines that have automatic bale wrapping assemblies for wrapping twine about the bales.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Machines for forming cylindrical bales of agriculture crop materials have been known for at least the last decade. However, the use of automatic bale wrapping assemblies with such machines is a recent development. An example of such an assembly is disclosed in two U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,894,484 and 3,913,473. The bale wrapping assembly disclosed in such patents includes a twine dispensing arm that is swung in a generally horizontal arc from one side of a bale being formed to the other side by a hydraulic cylinder so that the twine is wrapped in a spiral about the bale as it is rotated by a conveyor.
Although the above assembly reduces certain of the steps of prior manual bale wrapping processes, it suffers from the deficiencies that it is not automatically actuated and it does not provide a support position for the twine dispensing arm at any time. The only means for securing the dispensing arm in position during non-wrapping operation of the baler is the hydraulic cylinder that powers the dispensing arm during wrapping. The cylinder is the sole support for the dispensing arm but is secured to only one end thereof. Consequently, the dispensing arm appears to be susceptible to damage due to the severe shocks and vibrations that a baler normally encounters during normal operation.